Double din antenna question (Page 1/1)
gatorfrey MAY 11, 10:39 PM
Finally time to stab in a double din.
I have everything to do it. So time to order the nav radio.
The am/fm antenna on a new radio has a different size plug, if I remember right when I upgraded my other GT nearly 20 years ago.
After google search, cross reference , etc for an hour or so, I turn, once again , to you guys.
Metra, and others , show and adapter going back to 1988 GM vehicles. I am betting the 88 Fiero is the same plug as the earlier years.
I am sure a few of you lately have upgraded to a modern aftermarket. Those that have, did you have to do this ?
Whichever plug I use, further up the wire , I will be adding a long wire, like I did on the earlier GT, up the passenger "A" pillar, and making a big loop around the top. Now is good for that, because I am about to pull that top,like before,and replace it with a non sunroof top.
Last time reception was outstanding.
Glass in the fender hole, and off to something else.
gatorfrey MAY 12, 03:27 PM
No replies, so, no worries.
I cut the antenna coax after unbolting the base under the front fender, and removed it all the way to the radio.
So, I will run all new, like before, under the roof top panel. Below is my first one, where I glassed the antenna hole, and ran the wire up the passenger "A" pillar.
So, replace the skeleton with the double din mounted, then run the antenna wire and nav antenna under the new top.
I am good here.
hnthomps MAY 14, 05:59 AM
I use a pop up 7" screen fr a radio/NAV setup and have eliminated the visible antenna in a rather simple manner. Remove the old mount, glass over the hole, and reinstall the antenna in the wheel well in a more or less horizontal layout. This works well for me and was a minimal effort . I did use a Metra adapter and harness kit for the aftermarket radio install.

Nelson
gatorfrey MAY 15, 12:26 PM
That sounds good.
I am just lucky that I am about to change tops, so perfect timing for me. I also intend to run the nav antenna up the a pillar, and mount the head under the plastic top as well.
While the top is off, a full wrap around the sunroof under the plastic top took me an extra 4-5 minutes
on the first GT in the pictures.
The radio to fender coax was a concern. I already removed 100% of antenna anything, including the mount.
I have a factory coax for a newer GM in my shopping cart 6 feet long, which was the length of the one I took out.
I will route it to the old fender mount area, and go with the actual wire that will be the antenna, continuous to the wrap under the roof. It should connect to the radio, no problem.

[This message has been edited by gatorfrey (edited 05-15-2022).]

hnthomps MAY 15, 01:32 PM

quote
Originally posted by gatorfrey:

That sounds good.
I am just lucky that I am about to change tops, so perfect timing for me. I also intend to run the nav antenna up the a pillar, and mount the head under the plastic top as well.
While the top is off, a full wrap around the sunroof under the plastic top took me an extra 4-5 minutes
on the first GT in the pictures.
The radio to fender coax was a concern. I already removed 100% of antenna anything, including the mount.
I have a factory coax for a newer GM in my shopping cart 6 feet long, which was the length of the one I took out.
I will route it to the old fender mount area, and go with the actual wire that will be the antenna, continuous to the wrap under the roof. It should connect to the radio, no problem.




There have even been a few people who used their rear window defroster for an antenna. The reported results were decent reception.

Nelson
Raydar MAY 15, 04:35 PM
To directly answer your first question, I just installed a Double DIN Kenwood, in my 88 Formula. The antenna socket is exactly the same size as the Fiero antenna cable. (I had to slightly "adjust" one of the ears on the barrel, just a bit, to provide a tighter fit, but otherwise, all was good.)
The cable adapters were required for some of the later (90 and up?) GM radios. Those radios used a smaller plug for some reason. That's probably the adapter you were speaking of.

Edit - You will need your old antenna cable. The newer one may be too small.
Although I'm sure there are adapters available for that scenario, too, if you've already installed your cable.
https://replacementradios.c...0b5f15ee5e7b304c5e61

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 05-15-2022).]